1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to E9-1-1 emergency phone calls. More particularly, it relates to emergency E9-1-1 calls using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), originating from centralized call centers.
2. Background of the Related Art
911 is a phone number widely recognized as an emergency phone number that is used by emergency dispatch personnel, among other things, to determine a location of a caller. Enhanced 911 (E911) is defined by the transmission of callback number and location information to the relevant public safety answering point (PSAP). A PSAP is the endpoint of an emergency services call. PSAPs are responsible for answering emergency services calls. E911 may be implemented for landline and/or mobile devices. Some Public Safety Access Points (PSAPs) are not enhanced, and thus do not receive the callback or location information from any phone, landline or mobile.
Many cars built today include a telematics system. The word “telematics”, in its broadest sense, relates to the combination of computers and wireless telecommunications technologies. More recently, the term “telematics” has evolved to refer to automobile systems that combine global positioning satellite (GPS) tracking and other wirless communications for automatic roadside assistance and remote diagnostics. General Motors Corp. first popularized automotive telematics with its OnStar™ system. Mercedes-Benz offers a similar system called TeleAid™. The use of the word “telematics” throughout the current specification is intended to refer to the later definition of more recent recognition, i.e., to mean automotive telematics.
Many new vehicles are equipped with wireless-based telematics units providing services controlled by voice commands. One successful telematics system is available from OnStar Corp. (www.onstar.com). According to OnStar, OnStar brings together emergency service providers, wireless telephone, and satellite technologies to help protect a driver, and keep them connected on the road.
As part of the telematics system, a telematics unit including a cellular circuit is located within the vehicle, and powered by the vehicle's battery. Telematics units were originally analog-only, but have migrated to analog/digital-ready, and finally to dual-mode analog/digital. Dual-mode analog/digital telematics units operate on both the analog and digital wireless networks.
With a suitable subscription to use of a telematics operations center such as OnStar, a driver or passenger in a vehicle including a telematics unit has access to a voice-activated calling feature in their vehicle, just in case their hand-held cell phone is lost, forgotten or has a low battery. They can pre-purchase OnStar Hands-Free Calling minutes to use on the road. Such packages are typically billed to a credit card they keep on file with OnStar. They can order minutes packages by pushing the phone or white-dot button at any time.
Conventional telematics units are also capable of providing location information to a requesting wireless network, using a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) mounted in the vehicle, or using other location technology within the wireless network. When a vehicle occupant pushes a given button in the vehicle, essentially calling the telematics operations center, the telematics operations center identifies the vehicle's location. Moreover, if their air bag deploys, the location of the vehicle can be reported to the telematics operations center. So it's only when the button is pushed to contact the telematics operations center, or when the telematics operations center is responding to an emergency signal, that the telematics operations center is provided with a location of the vehicle.
Today, most telematics companies and more generally alarm companies monitor signals from customers' car, home or business. The monitoring is usually centralized in a single location for customer locations across the country (e.g., a station in Columbus, Ohio might monitor homes throughout the country for a given monitoring company. In more global companies, an alarm or other monitoring company might monitor alarm signals from homes in the United States from a centralized command center located in Bombay, India.
Thus, in today's global economy, when a customer places an emergency call such as a 911 call (or automated alarm system emergency call), the call may be routed very far away, and in some instances half-way across the world. The telematics operator must then transfer the 911 call to the relevant 911 center (public safety access point (PSAP)). However, this transfer must take place over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) because such transfer, cannot conventionally be gained to the PSAP's existing Enhanced 911 (E911) dedicated network where location and callback number of the originating 911 caller are provided. Moreover, note that even the call related information (e.g., CallerID) provided with the call would relate to the identity and location of the centralized telematics center—not to the callback number and certainly not the location of the customer originally dialing 911.
FIG. 3 shows conventional relevant systems in an emergency 911 call made via a telematics call center.
In particular, as shown in FIG. 3, a telematics unit 101 within a car dials 911. The 911 call is serviced by a cell site of a service provider, which includes a given mobile servicing center (MSC) 102. The MSC 102 passes the 911 call on to its relevant telematics call center 104. The telematics call center 104 may be, e.g., an ONSTAR™ call center.
The operator at the telematics call center 104 that handles the 911 call of its own subscriber obtains the identity and location information of the 911 caller. Based on the current location of the 911 caller, the operator performs a query of a telematics PSAP database 106 to determine a unique 10-digit phone number of the proper local PSAP physically responsible for the location of the 911 caller.
The operator at the telematics call center 104 then forwards the 911 caller to the PSAP by dialing its 10-digit phone number via the public switched telephone network (PSTN) 110.
Unfortunately, calls that arrive at the PSAP in this manner do not include call-back number (Automatic Number Identification (ANI)) and location information (Automatic Location Identification (ALI)). Moreover, the PSTN telephone 302 at the PSAP 118 is typically not answered with the same priority as are calls that originate on its E911 network. In addition, these calls are typically not recorded or time-stamped by PSAP equipment as are calls that arrive via the E911 network.
Trials have been conducted in which a local exchange carrier (LEC) has permitted access to a selective router for the E911 network via the PSTN. In this trial, the LEC designated a specific 10-digit telephone number. A caller has their emergency call transferred to this 10-digit telephone number, which is then call-forwarded, within the central office to the selective router, which then forwards the call to the correct PSAP based upon the digits dialed. However, this solution suffers the same significant drawbacks as that shown in FIG. 3, i.e., that callback number and location are not provided to the responsible PSAP.
Other conventional technology relies on the PSAP having separate, second set of phone equipment capable of receiving proprietary data from the telematics center 104. But this solution would be prohibitively costly to implement nationwide for each telematics center, not to mention take up valuable space inside a PSAP center. Thus, the costs and disruption caused by the need for new hardware has little congestion control, making this a rather undesirable solution.
There is the need for a simple and effective solution to providing easy and full access to the Enhanced 911 network of an emergency services provider (e.g., PSAP) from users of a centralized call center, e.g, telematics call center, alarm call center, etc.